VITALIZING  THE  NATION  AND  CON- 
SERVING HUMAN  UNITS  THROUGH 
THE  DEVELOPMENT  OF  AGRICUL- 
TURAL COMMUNITIES 


BY 

HUGH   MacRA.E 

Wilmington,  N.  C. 


Publication  No.  978 

Reprinted  from  National  Industries  and  the  Federal  Government 

Vol.  LXIII  of  The  Annates  of  the 

American  Academy  of  Political  and  Social  Science 

Philadelphia,  January*  1916 


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Reprinted  from  The  Annals  of  the  American  Academy  of  Political  and  Social 

Science,  Philadelphia,  January,  1916. 

Publication  No.  978. 


VITALIZING  THE  NATION  AND  CONSERVING  HUMAN 

UNITS  THROUGH  THE  DEVELOPMENT   OF 

AGRICULTURAL  COMMUNITIES 

By  Hugh  MacRae, 
Wilmington,  N.  C. 

Perhaps  there  is  no  field  today  richer  in  opportunity  for  the 
scientist  and  for  the  sociologist,  than  that  which  relates  to  agri- 
culture. 

In  reading  an  address  recently  made  to  the  members  of  the 
American  Chemical  Society,  by  its  president,  I  was  deeply  impressed 
by  the  altruistic  ideals  expressed  in  the  keynote  of  the  address. 
This  address  pointed  out  that  the  ultimate  aim  of  research  is  not 
the  discovery  of  "Truth  for  Truth's  sake,"  or  "Science  for  Science's 
sake" — but,  rather,  the  uplift  of  mankind. 

And  the  idea  was  driven  home  with  this  striking  statement, 
"If  this  be  not  the  goal,  then  pure  chemistry  becomes  a  selfish  toy, 
and  applied  chemistry  a  mere  tool  for  greed." 

May  we  not  assume  that  all  branches  of  science  and  all  applica- 
tions of  science  are  beginning  to  feel  the  same  thrill,  to  earnestly 
desire  the  same  purpose ;  to  interest  themselves  in  the  betterment  of 
humanity. 

Even  the  most  pronounced  pessimist  must  admit  a  marked 
progress  since  the  individualism  which  is  supposed  to  have  char- 
acterized the  Stone  Age;  and  there  is  no  reason  to  assume  that  this 
progress  has  stopped. 

While  the  convulsion  now  shaking  the  world  points  temporar- 
ily backward,  it  may  be  similar  to  some  of  the  great  disturbing 
readjustments  of  nature.  It  may  bring  men  and  nations  closer 
together  in  preparation  for  constructive  work  for  the  common  good. 

In  so  far  as  America  is  concerned,  the  certain  result  will  be  an 
enormous  accumulation  of  wealth;  and  the  future  of  the  country  is 
going  to  be  shaped  by  the  way  this  wealth  is  used.  If  extravagance 
and  selfishness  are  to  be  the  outcome  then  indeed  the  future  is  dark; 
but  if  American  democracy  has  reached  a  point  where  it  can  rise 
above  the  temptations  which  accompany  wealth,  and  can  use  this 

1 


2  The  Annals  of  the  American  Academy 

wealth  for  the  well-being  of  democracy,  than  we  may  truly  say  that 
liberty  will  be  enlightening  the  world.  She  will  be  enlightening  the 
world  to  an  extent  greater  than  has  ever  been  conceived  of,  because 
such  an  opportunity  has  never  until  now  come  within  any  one's 
dreams. 

Observers  who  can  go  back  as  much  as  a  generation  or  even  ten 
years,  can  see  changes  so  marked  that  it  is  difficult  to  grasp  their 
scope.  Twenty  years  ago  it  was  considered  right  that  a  corporation 
should  be  "cold-blooded"  and  "soulless,"  that  it  should  be  run  with 
the  sole  idea  of  profit  to  its  shareholders.  Good  business  methods 
were  followed  and  perhaps  a  higher  standard  of  business  ethics  than 
were  subsequently  the  rule.  The  desire  for  gain  and  an  indifference 
to  public  interests  resulted,  however,  in  a  lax  code  of  business  morals, 
and  this  eventually  brought  antagonism  from  the  public,  followed 
by  an  era  of  misunderstandings  and  turmoil  which  perhaps  reached 
its  height  during  the  past  decade. 

Apparently  the  public  has  established  its  supremacy,  and  at  the 
same  time  the  managers  of  corporations  have  been  converted  to  a 
much  saner  point  of  view.  It  is  now  conceded  that  business  meth- 
ods should  make  for  morality  as  well  as  efficiency;  it  is  the  common 
understanding  that  the  public  should  be  pleased,  and  that  the  cor- 
poration which  gives  the  best  service  pleases  the  public  most. 
During  this  same  period  we  have  seen  a  marked  change  in  the  at- 
titude toward  the  laborer.  He  was,  twenty  years  ago,  simply  a 
commodity  and  a  unit.  He  was  to  be  worked  as  hard  as  possible 
with  the  lowest  pay  possible,  and  with  as  few  rights  as  possible. 
But  public  opinion  and  the  constant  resort  to  the  courts  have  grad- 
ually brought  a  change,  and  those  who  manage  corporations  properly 
know  that  the  working  man  must  be  considered  and  protected. 
With  this  recognition  of  legal  responsibility  a  change  of  mental 
attitude  has  taken  place,  so  that  the  best  managers  of  corporations 
do  not  stay  within  the  demand  of  the  law  but  go  beyond  it  in  seeking 
ways  to  promote  the  comfort,  the  welfare  and  the  interests  of  their 
employees.  The  accomplishment  of  Mr.  Ford  most  convincingly 
marks  the  height  to  which  this  consideration  of  employees  has  been 
carried. 

He  has  broken  through  convention.  His  plan,  because  of  its 
magnitude,  and  particularly  because  it  has  succeeded,  may  become 
epoch-making. 


cp 


3a  b 


Development  of  Agricultural  Communities  3 

While  America  has  been  an  agricultural  country,  and  while  its 
wealth  has  been  based  on  its  agriculture,  we  have  gazed  so  intently 
at  figures  relating  to  commercial  development  and  manufacturing 
and  to  the  financial  transactions  incident  thereto,  that  the  word 
"America"  has  to  most  of  us  carried  with  it  the  idea  of  finance  and 
commerce ;  in  other  words,  the  measuring  of  values  and  the  handling 
of  products  rather  than  the  idea  of  their  production. 

We  have  relatively  gone  behind  the  rest  of  the  world  in  our 
agricultural  methods,  and  in  our  nourishment  and  care  of  the  farm- 
ing interests.  Our  thought  has  not  been  focused  in  that  direction. 
Yet  no  one  doubts  that  agriculture  is  the  foundation  stone  of  the 
nation's  material  welfare,  and  also  of  its  political  stability. 

We  must  pay  more  attention  to  agriculture  if  the  national 
structure  is  to  have  the  proper  proportions.  No  good  architect 
will  build  a  skyscraper  on  a  weak  or  dangerous  foundation.  Why 
should  we  as  a  nation  build  a  top-heavy  structure?  Why  should 
we  longer  neglect  the  things  that  are  basic? 

It  is  safe  to  assume  that  we  will  not  overlook  the  fundamental 
principles  that  are  vital  to  the  future  of  the  nation.  Many  signs 
point  to  the  fact  that  agriculture  is  to  be  revivified;  that  it  will  be 
placed  on  a  footing  which  will  make  it  attractive  and  profitable.  In 
bringing  our  agriculture  up  to  date  in  methods  and  in  opportunities, 
we  will  do  more  than  can  be  done  in  any  other  way  toward  bringing 
the  nation  to  its  hightest  efficiency  and  its  possibilities  for  the 
comfort  of  its  population. 

The  public  is  recognizing,  through  its  increasing  support  of  the 
agricultural  departments  of  the  various  states  and  of  the  United 
States,  the  importance  of  giving  to  the  farmer — the  man  who  is 
engaged  in  the  most  scientific  of  all  industries — the  opportunity  to 
learn  the  best  methods  of  increasing  the  quantity  and  quality  of  his 
crops.  Scientific  farming  is  being  taught  in  our  universities  and 
agricultural  colleges.  Daily  papers  and  magazines  are  devoting 
more  space  to  subjects  relating  to  country  life  and  to  agriculture, 
and  are  continually  finding  a  more  widespread  interest  in  these 
subjects.  It  is  beginning  to  be  believed  that  the  rural  schools 
should  devote  part  of  the  time  to  teaching  subjects  of  rural  interest 
rather  than  those  which  relate  to  urban  life.  We  hear  much  of 
boys'  corn  clubs,  pig  clubs,  and  girls'  canning  clubs;  of  moonlight 
schools,  rural  life  schools,  and  similar  undertakings,  many  of  which 


4  The  Annals  of  the  American  Academy 

have  been  inaugurated  through  the  cooperative  work  of  the  govern- 
ment and  of  the  state  department  officials. 

Scientists  have  recently  contributed  much  to  agriculture 
through  the  development  of  methods  of  fertilization,  seed  selection, 
and  the  perfection  of  appliances  for  the  substitution  of  mechanical 
power  in  cases  where  the  farm  work  was  formerly  done  by  manual 
labor  and  the  help  of  farm  animals. 

Perhaps  no  contribution  has  been  of  more  importance,  or  rather 
promises  to  be  of  more  importance,  because  it  is  only  just  initiated, 
than  the  spread  of  knowledge  relating  to  the  usefulness  of  different 
kinds  of  bacteria  in  stimulating  vegetable  growth.  Through  the 
use  of  nitrogen-producing  bacteria,  which  thrive  on  the  roots  of 
legumes,  the  growth  of  these  leguminous  plants  is  greatly  increased 
as  well  as  their  power  to  take  from  the  air  large  quantities  of  nitrogen 
and  make  it  available  in  the  soil  as  plant  food.  By  this  means  it  is 
possible  to  bring  the  soil  up  to  a  state  of  fertility  and  productiveness 
which  has  heretofore  been  unknown.  This  one  discovery  is  suffi- 
cient to  shape  a  new  era  in  agriculture. 

Again,  the  application  of  power  machinery,  especially  the  im- 
plements for  plowing  and  harvesting,  has  now  reached  a  point  where 
it  will  make  an  entirely  new  thing  of  life  on  the  farm.  This  perhaps 
has  been  an  outgrowth  of  the  development  of  the  automobile  and 
the  areoplane;  but  it  is  far  more  important  than  either.  When  a 
farmer  can  plow  ten  times  the  amount  of  land  at  the  same  cost  as 
heretofore,  many  of  the  problems  of  agriculture  immediately  dis- 
appear; when  he  can  reap  fifty  acres  of  land  for  the  same  expen- 
diture of  time  and  money  that  he  could  formerly  reap  five,  he  is 
emancipated. 

The  engines  and  the  machines  for  doing  this  are  just  being 
produced.  They  have  reached  a  stage  of  development  which  makes 
the  result  a  certainty.  Some  of  these  machines  will  be  small  enough 
so  that  they  can  do  the  work  of  a  man  on  a  five-acre  farm;  others 
are  big  enough  and  heavy  enough  to  be  important  units  on  a  five- 
thousand-acre  farm.  This  result  has  been  the  question  of  applying 
the  brains  of  the  inventor  to  the  needs  of  the  farmer. 

Now,  let  us  go  back  to  the  statement  of  the  president  of  the 
American  Chemical  Society:  What  is  the  purpose  of  all  this,  and 
what  is  the  good  of  all  this,  unless  it  makes  for  the  general  good  of 


Development  of  Agricultural  Communities  5 

humanity?     The  accumulation  of  wealth  is  only  a  means  to  an  end, 
and  the  question  is,  to  what  end? 

If  we  can  conceive  of  the  highest  use  of  the  potential  forces 
surrounding  us,  if  the  public  mind  is  awakened  to  the  national  pos- 
sibilities, then  the  seed  has  been  sown  which  will  stimulate  the 
nation  into  new  and  more  constructive  life. 

With  agricultural  departments,  with  corn  clubs  and  canning 
clubs;  with  manufacturers  who  are  pleasing  the  public  and  who  are 
devising  means  to  protect  their  employees;  with  helpful  publications 
which  are  sent  broadcast  over  the  country;  with  capitalists,  for- 
merly designated  as  philanthropists,  who  are  using  their  wealth  for 
other  and  higher  purposes  than  self-indulgence,  we  have  certainly 
reached  a  stage  which  has  in  it  ground  for  healthy  optimism.  But 
it  seems  that  this  has  all  just  reached  the  same  status  as  has  the  art 
of  using  bacteria  for  the  increase  of  soil  fertility  and  the  art  of  using 
mechanical  power  for  revolutionizing  agriculture.  We  have  all  of 
the  materials  ready;  we  have  the  germ  which  is  necessary  to  the 
cultivation  of  human  welfare;  we  are  ready  to  make  the  application. 
Humanity  is  on  the  threshold  of  something  bigger  than  it  has  had. 

When  the  farmer  is  raising  one  hundred  bushels  of  corn,  or  two 
bales  of  cotton,  or  thirty  hogs  to  the  acre;  when  his  girls  are  raising 
and  canning  much  of  the  food  that  people  will  need;  will  the  progress 
towards  human  welfare,  towards  education,  and  toward  those  com- 
forts and  refinements,  which  are  considered  the  products  of  civil- 
ization, keep  pace  with  his  development?  Will  the  laborer  in  the 
factory  and  in  the  mine  understand  the  employer  better?  Will  the 
capitalist  be  as  much  interested  in  the  welfare  of  those  who  are 
working  for  him  as  he  is  in  the  dividends  which  are  being  paid  from 
his  investments?  Will  our  legislators  understand  that  it  is  ex- 
pected of  them  to  make  laws  which  will  bring  about  the  spread  of 
this  better  feeling?     If  so,  there  is  much  to  be  done. 

When  a  farmer  recently  pointed  out  to  me  a  small  piece  of 
ground  and  explained  that  he  had  planted  on  it  one  and  one-half 
pints  of  beans,  and  had  produced  and  marketed  $90  worth  of  beans, 
it  was  a  revelation  not  only  as  to  the  possibilities  but  also  the  ad- 
vantages of  using  ten  cents  worth  of  beans  and  a  small  piece  of 
ground  in  the  effort  to  be  helpful,  rather  than  using  the  ten  cents 
direct. 

Perhaps  encouraged  by  this  information  and  the  conclusion 


6  The  Annals  of  the  American  Academy 

which  it  naturally  leads  to,  the  experiment  was  tried  of  taking  a  few 
destitute  families  from  Belgium  and  helping  them  to  raise  their  own 
food  supplies  on  small  tracts  of  fertile  land.  They  were  put  to  work 
planting  vegetables  the  day  after  their  arrival,  and  in  sixty  to  ninety 
days  had  more  food  than  they  knew  what  to  do  with;  in  fact,  the 
superabundance  of  food  was  their  main  trouble  in  life,  and  was 
actually  a  cause  of  discontent. 

There  are  hundreds  of  millions  of  acres  of  productive  land  now 
unused  in  the  United  States.  Plans  should  be  perfected  for  the 
occupancy  and  proper  use  of  these  lands.  This  is  easy  to  say,  but 
extremely  difficult  of  accomplishment.  Many  of  the  problems 
which  are  incidental  to  such  a  result  have  been  overlooked  or  for- 
gotten or  are  still  to  be  solved.  We  speak  of  the  aggregate  wealth 
produced  by  the  farmers,  and  forget  the  infinite  toil  and  hardship 
and  risk  of  the  individuals  in  producing  this  wealth.  We  overlook 
the  fact  that  except  for  removable  handicaps  this  wealth  could  be 
from  two  to  four  times  as  great  as  it  is,  with  the  same  expenditure  of 
effort. 

To  make  the  unused  lands  available  and  attractive,  the  brains  of 
the  nation  must  be  focused  on  plans  through  which  worthy  people 
can  safely  establish  themselves  on  the  land.  This  is  essential  for 
the  purpose  of  independence  and  immediate  profit,  but  it  is  of  far 
more  importance  as  a  protection  against  want  in  old  age. 

Here  is  where  our  present  industrial  system  falls  down.  We 
use  up  the  best  there  is  in  a  man;  we  encourage  him  in  many  forms 
of  extravagance.  Perhaps  the  most  fortunate  thing  for  him  to  do 
is  to  die  while  in  the  traces.  If  he  is  unfortunate  enough  to  live 
beyond  the  "military  age,"  he  is  automatically  thrown  aside. 
What  becomes  of  him  after  that  is  not  a  matter  of  national  thought. 
It  is  too  bad,  but  we  have  neither  time  to  consider  it  nor  prevent  it. 

A  few  people  support  soup  kitchens,  build  model  tenements,  and 
subscribe  to  home  mission  funds;  but  this  is  plainly  inadequate  and 
a  mild  palliative  for  a  serious  national,  and,  in  fact,  international 
problem. 

It  would  seem  that  the  proper  development  of  agriculture  and 
the  right  use  of  the  vast  potential  resources  which  we  have  in  our 
unoccupied  lands  would  afford  a  solution  for  our  present  waste  of 
human  life  and  opportunity;  would  relieve  the  constant  poverty  and 
distress  of  our  wornout  units.     Before  such  an  ideal  can  be  carried 


Development  of  Agricultural  Communities  7 

out,  it  would  be  necessary  to  have  better  methods  of  directing 
people  to  suitable  locations;  better  financial  legislation  in  the  nature 
of  rural  credits;  better  marketing  facilities,  so  that  too  great  a  share 
of  the  wealth  production  would  not  be  absorbed  by  interests  which 
now  come  between  the  producer  and  the  ultimate  consumer.  People 
who  have  agricultural  inclinations,  or  training,  or  ability,  should 
find  it  profitable  and  attractive  to  live  on  the  land  and  in  rural 
communities  made  far  better  and  more  modern  than  they  have 
been  in  the  past.  Through  concentrated  national  thought  the 
drift  of  the  people  could  be  directed  toward  the  open  country  in- 
stead of  toward  the  congested  centers.  A  man's  occupation  in  the 
manufacturing  industries  should  be  universally  recognized  as  being 
of  a  temporary  nature,  just  as  is  the  case  in  European  countries 
with  military  service;  and  after  making  use  of  his  capabilities  during 
a  period  of  years,  he  should  have  been  induced  to  provide  for 
himself  an  opportunity,  or  it  should  be  provided  for  him,  so  that  he 
could  spend  his  remaining  years  in  healthful  occupation,  under 
conditions  of  absolute  independence,  by  cultivating  or  directing  the 
cultivation  of  land 

The  cultivation  of  land  can,  by  the  application  of  science,  be 
brought  down  almost  to  the  question  of  the  use  of  brains.  The 
necessary  brains  can  be  furnished  by  a  man  beyond  middle  age  as 
well  as  at  the  stage  of  his  greatest  physical  vigor.  They  can  be 
furnished  just  as  well  by  a  woman  as  they  can  by  a  man.  The 
problem  comes  down,  first,  to  the  recognition  of  the  need;  second,  to 
the  conception  of  the  possibilities;  and  third  to  devoting  a  fair  share 
of  the  national  ability  to  removing  obstacles  and  applying  informa- 
tion that  we  already  have  available.  The  result  will  be  the  doing 
away  with  pauperism,  and  the  raising  of  the  national  scale  of  in- 
telligence and  comfort. 

We  may  learn  from  this  war.  Everyone  who  reads  recognizes 
now  the  importance  of  organized  efficiency.  The  results  so  far 
achieved  have  been  measured  by  this.  The  hope  of  Germany  has 
been  due  to  the  fact  that  she  was  far  in  advance  of  the  rest  of  the 
world  in  organization  and  methods  of  cooperation.  This  effect  has 
been  secured  through  a  strong  form  of  government  which  could  say, 
do  this,  and  it  was  done.  While  this  was  the  quickest,  it  is  perhaps 
not  the  best,  and  certainly  not  the  only  way. 

If  democracy  can  be  enlightened  to  a  point  where  the  different 


8  The  Annals  of  the  American  Academy 

units  voluntarily  say,  let  us  do  this  for  our  common  welfare,  it  will 
be  infinitely  superior  to  having  done  the  same  thing  in  unreason- 
ing obedience;  and  it  will  have  more  permanence.  The  people 
will  then  so  influence  and  shape  the  federal  government  that  it  will 
be  a  clearing  house  for  our  national  industrial  problems;  but  bet- 
ter, perhaps,  it  will  be  a  great  laboratory  in  which  our  national 
problems  are  first  analyzed  and  then  by  a  synthetic  process  sound 
policies  constructed  and  enforced.  The  results  would  be  returned  to 
the  people  in  a  way  that  would  be  most  beneficial. 

To  make  progress  we  must  have  the  benefit  of  inventive  minds, 
and  we  must  have  the  backing  of  public  opinion.  This  public 
opinion  must  be  expressed  in  terms  of  legislation  in  order  to  clear 
the  way  for  practical  results.  As  an  illustration  we  may  consider 
the  question  of  immigration.  Perhaps  no  one  can  predict  the  out- 
come of  the  influences  at  work  in  Europe.  Some  think  that  immi- 
gration to  this  country  will  be  entirely  stopped.  Others  think  tha£ 
the  United  States  will  be  flooded  with  people.  Of  those  holding  the 
latter  theory,  there  are  the  sub-groups,  some  of  whom  think  it  would 
be  a  calamity,  and  others  think  it  would  be  a  vast  benefit. 
Healthy  immigration  should  be  a  great  upbuilding  influence  in 
this  country.  It  should  help  the  immigrant  as  well  as  ourselves. 
There  is  no  growth  so  important  or  so  profitable  as  the  growth  of 
population;  but  it  goes  without  saying  that  this  growth  of  popula- 
tion should  be  of  the  right  quality  and  should  be  properly 
directed  and  cared  for.  Any  misused  force  is  dangerous.  A  study 
of  the  history  of  this  country  for  the  past  twenty  years  will  show 
that  the  tide  of  immigration,  even  though  it  has  been  handled 
in  a  haphazard  way  and  with  little  thought,  except  perhaps  to  ex- 
ploit the  immigrant,  has  been  beneficial.  But  if  the  sturdy  people 
who  are  now  showing  such  splendid  qualities  in  Europe,  can  be 
directed  under  scientific  guidance  to  our  vast  areas  of  unused  land, 
the  benefits  would  be  beyond  estimate  to  them  and  to  us.  It  may 
be  taken  without  question  that  anyone  who  is  willing  to  go  on  the 
land  and  make  a  living,  is  a  desirable  citizen.  The  land  and  its 
problems  which  make  it  necessary  to  work  understandingly  with 
nature,  may  be  considered  to  have  the  qualities  of  a  great  filter 
which  will  automatically  separate  the  worthy  citizen  from  the  un- 
worthy. The  man  who  wishes  to  make  a  living  by  exploiting  his 
fellows  naturally  seeks  the  slums  of  the  great  cities,  and  he  soon 


Development  of  Agricultural  Communities  9 

becomes  a  menace  to  the  people  and  to  the  institutions  of  his 
country. 

As  the  wealthiest  neutral  nation  in  the  world  we  are  under 
certain  obligations  to  care  for  the  suffering  people,  either  in  their 
own  homes  or  in  ours;  in  their  countries  or  in  America.  Both 
methods  will  undoubtedly  be  employed.  It  is  a  requirement  of  our 
time  and  of  humanity. 

We  have,  wisely,  in  this  country,  commissions  and  societies  for 
the  study  of  different  problems.  One  of  the  latest  and  perhaps  one 
of  the  most  important  steps,  was  to  form  a  group  of  scientists  to 
pass  upon  inventions  to  be  used  in  the  Navy  for  the  purpose  of 
warfare;  or,  as  we  like  better  to  express  it,  for  the  purpose  of  pre- 
venting war  and  protecting  our  country.  Is  the  time  not  now  ripe 
for  calling  together  scientists  and  sociologists  for  the  study  and 
recognition  of  methods  and  legislation  having  for  its  purpose  the 
betterment  of  human  conditions?  It  would  seem  that  through  such 
an  organized  group  we  could  reach,  by  democratic  means,  a  degree 
of  efficiency  and  comfort  not  less  satisfying  than  that  which  we  know 
has  been  reached  in  other  countries  by  different  methods;  and  it 
would  seem  wise  in  future  not  to  devote  the  best  thought  of  America 
in  too  great  proportions  to  piling  up  trade  balances  or  perfecting  the 
methods  of  manufacturing,  to  stimulating  commerce  or  developing 
our  means  of  defense,  unless  we  can  carry  with  these,  and  under- 
lying them  all,  what  many  men  have  recently  seen  and  are  reaching 
for,  but  have  not  sufficiently  focused  on — the  good  of  humanity. 


